Councillor O’Brien, who is also a community councillor representing the Oystermouth Ward on Mumbles Community Council, has been an officer with the Royal Air Force Air Cadets for over 17 years and is an active member of the Mumbles and South Gower Royal British Legion.
A mum to two young boys, she also worked 12 years in the motor mechanic industry and was involved in the farming sector for a number of years, working on a farm to fork business in Gower. She is also the former deputy leader of the Welsh Conservatives in Swansea
Her defection follows recent by-election wins for Reform UK in which the party secured two councillors on Carmarthenshire County Council and one on Bridgend County Borough Council.
Councillor Francesca O’Brien said:
“I’m proud to be announcing that I am joining Reform UK.
“Reform UK is our only chance to finally break up the Labour/Plaid consensus in Cardiff Bay and create a government in Wales that understands the concerns of ordinary people.
“They are also committed to ending the bleeding of millions of taxpayer pounds on things like empty Welsh Government buildings and pointless overseas offices, redirecting that money back into Wales.
“I continue to remain dedicated to my role as a councillor, determined to make our communities thrive, businesses boom and deliver a safe and vibrant community for our families to live and work.”
Commenting on the defection of Conservative Swansea Councillor Francesca O’Brien to Reform, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe (Swansea & Gower) and Waterfront Councillor Sam Bennett said:
“This just shows the Conservatives are a dead force in Swansea and Wales, with councillors jumping ship to save their own jobs.
“Reform on the other hand, is very good at offering soundbites and pointing out problems, but they never offer any solutions to those problems.
“The Liberal Democrats are already the largest opposition party in Swansea by a considerable margin, holding Labour to account every day. We are looking to make major gains both at the Senedd elections and at the next council elections in 2027.
“As we head into the Senedd elections, we have a clear focus on improving the affordability of childcare for working families, fixing our NHS by investing in social care, supporting our small businesses to grow, and cleaning up our rivers and seas.”
[Lead image: Reform UK]
